The Two-Faced Mushi
by Pikasa
Summary: Ginko, a traveling Mushi master, begins to hear rumors about a girl and her dog that died decades ago and somehow managed to remain in the world, but only in 'ghost' forms. Ginko decides to look in on it, hoping to find a solution, but instead finds himself regretting it. Only then does he realize what this world truly is.
1. Chapter 1

Mushi-shi Fanfic

Chapter One

I was brought back to that same dream. It was dark, and the moon barely lit the surrounding area. A small pond lay it front of me, long reeds peaking from the water. The full moon reflected off the smooth water. Soon the water was disturbed by a small fish. I walked closer to the pond, peering into the dark waters. The fish swam closer to the shore where I crouched down. It's sleek and silver body swam even closer, it's green eye blank. I reached my hand out to touch the small fish, but it swam away out of pure instinct. It panicked and disturbed the surface of the water. I tucked my hand back behind my knees as remained crouching by the shore. The fish had sent ripples across the pond, fleeing from my direction. I watched closely and noticed other fish as well. They all were silver, and I caught glimpses of their emerald eyes. I looked back up into the sky to see the moon directly overhead. Stars twinkled and danced, dispersed throughout the black abyss. I turned my head back to the pond where Lilly pads floated across, not really having any destination in mind. For a second things started to become a blur, like someone had taken black ink and painted it over my eyes. I thought that I was finally coming out of the dream, but my eyesight came back into view.  
>The moon was close to setting behind me, as the sun was close to rising in front of me. I stared blankly as the sun peeked over distant mountains. Once the sunlight hit the pond though, something strange happened. A black cloud emerged from shadows cast by reeds or trees by the shore of the pond. The silver fish started to group together, frantically swimming from the danger. A single fish strayed from its group though, and the black shadow from the pond ate away one of its eyes, but as I looked closer, both it's eyes were clouded over by the shadow. Soon the fish's body became weak, and the black shadow dragged away it's prey, back from where it came. I think I was crying for some reason.<p>

I finally awoke from the dream. Sunlight filtered through green leaves belonging to the tree that I rested on. I placed a hand on my face and found that I was crying. Just like always. The dream was reoccurring and every time it had the same ending and I woke up the same way. I wiped away the salty waters that had emitted from my eyes and remained crouched in the soft grass. I hugged my knees tightly, resting my chin on top. I then stood up, deciding that I should head back to my village. I looked from where I was, seeing the village below me. I stretched my arms above my head, yawning as I did so. I took a glance around and saw a white wolf.  
>"Inu, come here, boy."<br>The large beast gave a bark of understanding and trotted out from underneath his own little tree. The dog was covered in his own white fluff and had green eyes, the color of the leaves that burdened the trees. I giggled with glee as he followed me down the dirt trail leading to the village. We went down the side of the mountain, a couple times tripping from my black kimono catching on stray branches or bushes. By the time we got to the bottom of the mountain where the village was located, I had torn midst of my kimono. Inu followed close behind and in his fur he held branches of his own, tangled in his long white strands. I laughed again at the silly sight and quickly pulled the branches out before entering the small village. As I turned my head away from Inu I wish that I had never come back. I wished that I had stayed under that tree in the mountain. I wished that I just kept dreaming under that tree.  
>What laid before me was a village, but what it contained made me lose what I had eaten for the day. The village houses were splattered in scarlet. The roads that passed through the village lay thick in red. The people that once had lived their were no longer identifiable. Everyone lay, carved up with what looked like swords. But what lay a the very center of it all was a band of thieves. They each held their own weapons with a look of pure insanity. One slowly turned his head towards me, notifying the others that I was still alive, that I probably belonged to this village. I didn't have any time to react. Inu took me by the back of my kimono and took off towards my house. He then threw me a top his back, sprinting full speed down the newly colored roads. The village had been killed by a group of bandits. Everyone was dead. Their was no hope of my younger sister surviving this, nor my parents. We finally came to a stop with Inu panting hard. I ran quickly inside the house, averting my eyes from the crimson red that decorated the walls and floors. I didn't want to identify the chunks that lay scattered around me. I just ran to the corner of my father's room, picking up a small bottle used to store sake. I ran back out, just in time to see Inu snarling at the bandits that had finally caught up. I leapt up upon Inu's furry back, still clinging onto the precious sake bottle. Inu then took off again, kicking up dust on his sudden leap. The bandits tried to chase after us, only to fall behind at Inu's speed. I clutched desperately at the sake bottle my father had only left as an emergency. My father was a Mushi Master, studying things that were labeled "supernatural". My father had always told me to use this bottle if anything were to happen to him, and now that he was gone, I had no choice.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter finally up! Thank you blueb for reviewing! I hope to get more feedback for this new version that I planned out. It's a little dark in some places, and may get a little sad. Idk where this will go exactly, but I guess we'll see! Please enjoy~**

**Sincerely, **

**Pikasa**

Mushi-shi Fanfic CH2

Chapter Two

The bandits were still after us. One of them was currently trying his best to shoot arrows at me and Inu, but was drunk off of his own insanity. I noticed as I looked behind me that a few of the men had disappeared, but took it as a blessing. Just less people to deal with. I held the sake bottle close to me using one hand, and gripped Inu's long fur along the back of his neck with my other. We continued to flee from the men chasing after us, now exiting the dead village. I didn't know how I was suppose to feel. I felt that I needed to mourn over the lost lives, but I also felt that I should panic. Our whole village was taken down in just the few hours that I had disappeared. Our village was small, maybe some thirty people or so, but we were triple the number of bandits. We should have been able to defend ourselves!

I was dragged back from the dark, emotional corners of my mind to realize that the men who had gone, were back now. And now riding horses. I could feel my mouth moving and air emitting from my throat, probably a command to Inu, but I couldn't hear it. I could feel my eyes grow wide with panic. They began to gain on us, shooting arrows our way now that they had all their men on horses.

The environment suddenly became enveloped in woodland and the skies grew dark. The sun began to set, casting a blood-red color on the clouds overhead. I began to gasp for air, entering a state of panic. I could hear the hooves of the horses coming closer and closer, the men laughing over the immense fun of chasing prey. I could then hear a high pitched whistle, but only for a second before I was off into the air, gaining five feet off the ground. I clutched onto the sake bottle that I held dearly to me and flipped myself in the air so I could land on my back. I landed with a sharp 'thud', nearly knocking myself out. The air escaped from my lungs on impact as I wheezed sharply. The situation was grave. I sat myself up, clutching onto the front of my torn black kimono, seeing the bandits surround us. Not far from me lay Inu, standing out from the darkening shadows. I managed to crawl to where he lay, small choked breaths escaping from his jaws. I looked him over, easily spotting the sudden cause of us abruptly stopping and short flight. Tears welled up in my eyes as I tucked my face into his soft fur, gently petting his side. An arrow was sent straight through one of his back legs, a small puddle of blood already forming below the wound. I wanted to wake up from this horrible dream, I didn't want this to be true. I began to chew on my lip, an idiosyncrasy of mine whenever I became frightened or severely sad. I could taste the sharp copper pooling into my mouth.

The sudden noise of horse saddles shifting snapped me out of the haze that I had entered. The men had circled around me, sadistic expressions plastered to their frightening appearances. I held Inu's head up, squeezing slightly as one of the men stepped up to me, drawing one of his swords from its sheath that hung along his side. He smiled as my face grew with a frightened appearance. He slowly lowered his sword close to my face, the blade pointing straight at me. The other men laughed around me and the horses seemed to whinny along with them. The man in front of me slowly raised his sword, pointing it straight into the starry night above. A large smile spread across his face, nearly reaching his ears. As quickly as I could, I threw Inu onto my back, carrying him piggy-back style, and grabbing hold of the sake bottle in my mouth as it had a red rope tied around it. I dashed past the man, going as fast as I could. I sprinted through the circle of bandits. I knew they weren't going after me as of this moment. They just wanted to chase me more, play with their prey more. Inu's head rested atop my shoulders and I could feel his soft breath brushing against the side of my face. I used my hands to support him from underneath, quickly running out of breath from the extra weight. Twigs and bushes seemed to slow us down, tried to return us back to the bandits. Their arms and fingers broke off and stuck in my long black strands of hair and Inu's white fluffy fur. I recognized where we were on the mountain and knew where to go. The sake bottle still jingled from my mouth and Inu's soft wheezing echoed throughout my ears. I had to do it. Me and Inu were going to do it. We were going to survive through this one way or another with the sake bottle that my father had entrusted to me.


End file.
